The problems began when the private tenant discovered a “massive puddle” in the middle of the living room in October 2023, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Mould on items including shoes and a passport holder

A private tenant living in a Haringey Council-owned building suffered with mould on his mattress, walls, clothes and possessions for a year.

Two tenants renting a flat managed by agent Dawnelia Properties in Highgate said the blame for the “poor living conditions” was passed between the council and the property agent.

Kasper Paveu Brzezik, one of the two tenants, said he noticed a “massive puddle” in the middle of the living room in October 2023, having only moved into the property the previous August. Following this, the problem worsened.

Kasper said: “There was lots of mould and damp in the bathroom and in my bedroom. I had lots of mould on my clothes, especially on my shoes.

“We informed the property agent about the mould but we never heard back, they ignored our messages.”

What followed were two to three attempts to schedule an assessment from the council, according to Kasper, with the appointment ultimately happening in April.

Kasper said his flatmate eventually reached out to various councillors and was able to secure a visit from a surveyor.

Describing the surveyor’s findings, Kasper said: “There was a leak from the roof, from a water tank that had broken we think, and wasn’t fixed properly, and that leak went down through the chimney.

“At the same time the surveyor discovered this damp and mould was connected to structural issues of the building.”

He added the conversion of the flat, from a former one-bedroom flat into a two-bedroom flat, meant a wall was added in, which impacted airflow.

Kasper also said the issues with mould and damp weren’t unique as a neighbour in an upstairs flat “lost half of his ceiling” due to the problem.

He acknowledged the council did send a repair worker to do a mould wash but added “if something is not fixed there’s nothing we can do, the issue was with the structural integrity of the building”.

Confusingly, a second surveyor visited in May and said the damp and mould “wasn’t that bad”. Kasper requested to see the report from the first surveyor’s visit but never saw it.

Kasper said: “Apart from the mould wash, which we were told would only last five or six months before mould returned, nothing with the roof has been done, or the building.

“We were told work would start on the roof in September, but no work was done.

“We’re trying to request some compensation from the landlord or the council because the whole situation was stressful but I don’t know what’s going to happen.

“We’ve put a complaint in and we keep chasing them.”

Since speaking Kasper has moved out of the property and added that he didn’t think the council or property agent took his concerns “seriously”.

In response Sarah Williams, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing and planning, said: “I was sorry to hear of the problems at this property, which have been caused in part by the leaseholder’s alterations.

“The conversion into a two-bedroom property with a partition wall has unfortunately cut the flow of air through the flat contributing to damp and mould.

“After concerns were raised by the occupants in mid-March 2024, an urgent mould wash was applied to treat the problem areas within two weeks.

“The survey at the time also identified problems with a leak from the roof. We have already completed the first part of the remedial works, and the remainder will be undertaken shortly.

“We will keep the leaseholder, and their current tenant, updated on progress.”

Dawnelia Properties were approached for comment but did not respond.

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